Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Syrian Arab Army units, in cooperation with the allied forces, established control over an area of above 120 km2 in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo after eliminating the last terrorist gatherings there.

A field commander told reporters that army units, in cooperation with the allied forces, continued their progress in the area surrounding the Infantry School and engaged in fierce battles with terrorist groups, inflicting heavy losses on them in personnel and equipment.

He added that the army established control over 25 village and farms, including Tal Shaer, the farms surrounding it, al-Ta’ana, Harysa, al-Wardieh, Jobah and the farms surrounding it.

He pointed out that army units confronted attacks launched by ISIS and armed groups linked to the Turkish regime on the military points in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.

The Commander noted that the terrorist groups which are supported by the Turkish regime falsely claim to be fighting ISIS in the direction of northeast of al-Bab, but it is the Syrian army and the allied forces who drove the terrorists of ISIS away from the entire area in 15 days.

Hama

The Syrian army repels terrorist attack on military posts in northern Hama.

Sweida

Syrian army unit targeted with artillery the movements of Daesh terrorists in al-Qasser village to the northeast of Sweida city, according to a military source.

The source added the ten Daesh members were killed due to the shelling and two of their vehicles were destroyed.

Terrorist attacks kill 7 civilians in Damascus and its countryside

Six civilians were killed due to a terrorist rocket attack on Harasta suburb in Damascus Countryside.

A source at Damascus Countryside Police Command told SANA reporter that the attack, which included several rocket shells, was launched by terrorists of the so-called “Jaish al-Islam” who are positioned in Eatsern Ghoutaby, adding that another person was injured due to the selling.

Colonel Sama’an killed in a terrorist attack on al-Faihaa Sports city in Damascus

Meanwhile, Director of al-Jaish football team, Colonel Nazih Sama’an was killed in a terrorist attack on al-Faihaa Sports city in Damascus.

A police source told SANA that terrorists of Jaish al-Islam targeted al-Faihaa sports city and al-Adawi Street with two rocket shells, killing the colonel and injuring player Ali Maryameh.

Eight persons injured in Aleppo

ِA police source told SANA that terrorist organizations targeted with a rocket shell residential neighborhood of al-Masharka in Aleppo, injuring a woman and a child.

Later, the source added that 6 other persons were injured in a rocket shell launched by terrorists on a building in Baghdad station neighborhood in Aleppo.

In the same context, another person was also injured when terrorist groups affiliated to Jabhat al-Nusra opened sniper rifle fire on the locals’ houses in the terrorist-besieged al-Fouaa town in the northern countryside of Idleb province.

Local sources told SANA that the sniper shootings came from Binnesh town, confirming that one person was injured in the attack.

A new batch of Russian humanitarian aid was distributed on Thursday to displaced people in al-Muallaqa village in cooperation with Damascus Countryside Governorate.

Representative of the Russian Coordination Center in Hmeimim Alexei Ivanov said 200 food portions, containing rice, sugar and canned food, were distributed to the displaced families in the village as part of the aid provided by Russia to help alleviate the Syrian people’ suffering due to the terrorist crimes.

For his part, Abdul Rahman al-Khatib, the mayor of Harjalleh town in which al-Muallaqa village is located, hailed the Russian stance in support of Syria, pointing out that Damascus Countryside Governorate provides all services and the basic needs to the 800 displaced families currently residing in al-Muallaqa village.

Trump has been a very successful businessman, not so much as a builder but as a salesman. He sold the brand he created: himself, or rather, his name. It doesn’t matter how many or how few of his buildings he actually owns: the world knows them as Trump towers. The use of his name fetches large fees and a percentage of the profit.

Some of his campaign speeches, in which he talked about the wall he wanted to build on the South border sounded like the rehearsed spiel he must have always used: “It will be BEAUTIFUL! You’ll see.” He sounded confident because, justifiably, he trusts his own spiel based on the track record. It has worked well for him.

The brand he fashioned is recognizably American in spirit: “Bigger is better and biggest is best, and we are the biggest and the best” as well as Jewish: “All that glitters is as good as gold. Ostentation is good because too much of a good thing is wonderful.” Common to both is the belief that who you are is what you have and what you have is the measure of what you can do (and get away with):

His America is New York City,a milieu where he made deals with, became friends with, and was helped along the way by many Jews, and where his children married Jews, so it makes sense that he expects this symbiotic cooperation to not only continue but to be taken to a new level.

His ego leads him to expect being able to “best” them in the biggest deal of his life: his project of “making America great again.” In exchange he will give them, say, a completely free hand in Palestine and, as a lagniappe, deeper deregulations here and then, in banking and industry, to make America “competitive.” Israel is already offering help with his beautiful wall project:

“Trump’s Mexican wall a boon for Israeli security company.”The Israeli company that has built high-tech fences along the country’s volatile borders is now trying to build a bridge to the Trump administration — hoping to use its experience to cash in on the president-elect’s plan to seal the border with Mexico. Magal Security Systems has been a major player in building high-tech fences and walls along Israel’s volatile northern and southern borders, as well as the massive separation barrier that snakes along the frontier with the West Bank. “We believe that the U.S. government is going to increase its security budgets in the upcoming years and definitely we look forward to take part in it,” the company’s chief executive, Saar Koursh, told The Associated Press.”

Based on the Gestalt of his life experience he may well sincerely believe that what the nation needs (and only he can provide) is a refurbished “America” brand. One so tall, so big and so intimidatingly shiny that the world will respect it again.

Some have said that the reason his team was so completely unprepared on November 8 — no transition plan, no clearly defined responsibilities of his team, and a vaguely sketched cabinet — was that Trump himself did not expect to win. I don’t believe this. He is not the type who forges ahead prepared to lose. I think he rather regards such preparations as he does the teleprompter: useful but not vital. If not available, he can always improvise. He will appoint “experts” (e.g., Mnuchin has vast expertise in finances, does he not?) to run the various departments, and he will busy himself cutting “deals” with foreign leaders that will all benefit “America” and will pacify areas of conflict in the world. One such obvious unresolved conflict is Palestine-Israel and he is already sketching a solution, working closely with his friend, Netanyahu. It will be beautiful.

Unlike the Clintons, greedy psychopathic liars sold to the highest bidder, which happens to be Jewish Power, I believe Trump is not only sincere, but also a patriot by his reckoning. He is sincere in his belief that the brand not only sells the product, but is the product. He is also a patriot who wants America to be “America” again — the shining brand the whole world used to admire and fear (“nobody will dare to mess with us”) — but his patriotism is local: he is a New York City patriot.

Despite his professions of understanding and identifying with those whom Hillary Clinton stupidly called “deplorables”– in rural America and in the devastated, formerly thriving industrial states (Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania) — Trump’s campaign visits there were the safaris of a New Yorker for whom civilization as he knows it ends west of the Hudson River. Beyond is another country and “they do things differently there.”

Trump did not “feel their pain,” as Bill Clinton used to lie; I believe he felt sincere compassion for the suffering of those he encountered, and a self-affirming, confirmatory delight at the warm reception his “tell it like it is” spiel received from them. He truly wants to alleviate their plight. He thinks he knows how, and is sure that his friends and long-term associates can help because they are deeply American too: NYC Americans, like him and, in final analysis, all “good people.”

All this is not to say that Trump’s presidency will bring no changes. Whether unwittingly or by sly intent to grab himself a heretofore ignored constituency, he has unleashed a deep national current of distrust, disgust and even hatred for the elites and the “lying media” that will not abate soon, and through his speeches has cut a large hole in the gag of political correctness.

Nationalism, specifically white nationalism, has gone from being viewed as the loony obsession of a few skinheads and survivalists packing ammo in Idaho and Montana to something now called a dangerous trend to be discussed openly (and excoriated, of course) on television and in the MSM. But there is another nascent change in the works: nationalism is being kosherized and defanged to make it safe for the sensitive, oppressed minorities (among which white Americans are not included yet). With kosher nationalism handed down to them — a sort of papalist populism– white Christian Americans will be able to have their cake without eating it. Jewish luminaries are calling it “pan-ethnic nationalism” and are telling hand-shy white liberals (“progressives”) that it’s ok, it has the rabbinical stamp. Ironically it resembles the democrat slogan, “We’re stronger together.” “America” means diversity, they explain, otherwise it is bigotry and worse: anti-semitism.

The unexpected number of women who voted for the “horrid misogynist” indicates that feminism has passed its sell-by date. No dramatic changes are to be expected on this score, however, but perhaps a more laissez-faire attitude regarding jokes and language so far considered male chauvinist will prevail.

The over-reaching of pro-immigration/open borders activists has fed the flames of anti-immigration sentiment to which Trump’s wall project appealed. This will not diminish and will still demand a solution, which the wall itself, absent changes in immigration and labor laws and social benefits distribution, does not represent.

So political correctness will be eroded in some areas to the chagrin of feminists and pro-immigration advocates, and Hallmark will print more “Merry Christmas” than “Happy Holidays” cards this Christmas.

When all is said and done, was the election joust only a skirmish between two factions of Jewish power? One that was won by the more astute manipulators who saw the surf and decided to ride it rather rail against it?

For now Trump’s deep motivation and intentions are still a puzzle.

What is certain is that the immediate danger of war with Russia has been averted and that is no small thing. It remains to be seen how Trump conducts himself in his interactions with Putin and other world leaders (like the Chinese), and if they see him as Chauncey, the gardner in Being There, or if he impresses them and their productive exchanges lead to mutually favorable agreements.

I agree with those who believe we should give him a chance and wait at least six months after the inauguration. Nevertheless, as physics teaches us, initial conditions determine much of the course of any event/phenomenon, and in the cone of shadow they cast, small indicators at the narrow end of the funnel are much amplified at the other end.

“But what if he fails?” asks Paul Craig Roberts. He answers his own question thus: “If Trump fails, the only solution is for the American people to become more radical.”

________________________

Note: I chose a few drawings by a pre-eminent New Yorker, Saul Steinberg, to illustrate this essay because they seemed highly apposite.

Israeli writer Dov Lieber sneeringly refers to Hezbollah as a “Shiite terror group” in one of his latest articles for the Times of Israel. Based on a report published over a Lebanese website, the article asserts that Russia and Hezbollah are now engaged in “official” military coordination in Syria.

If interested, you can find Lieber’s piece here. It states that Hezbollah officials met with “senior” Russian officers in Aleppo last week in what is described as the “first official and direct” meeting between the two sides since Russia entered the conflict last year.

While there have been lower-level unofficial contacts in the past, Russia is now said to be interested in coordinating with Hezbollah’s infantry on the ground in Aleppo.

Lieber says the news was published by Al-Akhbar, which he describes as “a pro-Hezbollah news site,” and apparently some Israeli officials are sitting up and taking notice:

Likud MK Avi Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet security agency, warned on November 16 that Russian interests in the Middle East do not coincide with Israel’s and said the Jewish state must be vigilant concerning Russia’s growing influence in the region, despite increasing diplomatic relations between Moscow and Jerusalem.

Whereas Israel considers Iran, the patron of Hezbollah, its greatest foe in the region and prioritizes defending itself against the Lebanese terror group, “Russia does not view Iran and its proxies according to the level of threat they pose or broadcast toward Israel,” Dichter said in an interview with Reuters, adding that Russia “view[s] Hezbollah positively as the errand lackey of Iran in Syria and Lebanon, [and is] backing the Shiite militia activity in Iraq and Syria.”

Lieber doesn’t bother to mention the assistance Israel has provided to terrorists in Syria or allow for the possibility that that might be of some concern to Russia. He also doesn’t mention that Israel seems, in effect, to be attempting to play both sides against the middle. But if you read a report published in the Jerusalem Post back in September it becomes somewhat apparent that this is what is taking place. There is an overt attempt, both by the writer of the article as well as Israeli diplomat Ron Prosor, to characterize the Syrian conflict as a “civil war.” It is not. It is a proxy war. (An important difference.) But aside from this mischaracterization, Prosor’s comments are quite interesting:

The escalation in rhetoric between Russia and the United States over Syria’s Civil War is creating a dangerous situation for Israel, former Israeli envoy to the United Nations Ron Prosor told Army Radio on Monday.

“We have here a dangerous situation. It is dangerous, by the way, also to [Israel], because we find ourselves right in the middle,” Prosor said. “We coordinate with Russia, and the Americans are an important strategic asset for us.”

“We coordinate with Russia,” says Prosor, but of course, golly, we get all those billions of dollars from America, so of course they are “an important strategic asset for us” as well.

Prosor said that a conflict between the Americans and Russians could create “a very uncomfortable reality” for Israel.

The former envoy to the UN said that the level of rhetoric in recent days between the world powers is unprecedented in Syria’s Civil War, however, he does not believe at this point that it will turn into a physical confrontation.

“There is a head on confrontation between the world powers who both currently maintain a presence in the arena, not through proxies,” he stated. “As far as we are concerned, as a country that is in the area with these world powers, who are in the midst of an escalating conflict, the arena is complicated.”

Yes, things in the Middle East are “complicated,” as Israelis constantly remind us. And Prosor takes pains to leave the impression that a war between America and Russia would create “a very uncomfortable reality” for Israel. What he leaves unsaid, of course, is that it would also offer a goldmine of opportunities. Should the world’s two main superpowers fight a destructive, self-defeating war, it would pave the way for Israel to assume its place as a major global power, possibly even ushering in a “Pax Judaica.”

Is it possible this is what the neocons in America have in mind and why they’ve been trying so hard, seemingly, to promote a confrontation between the US and Russia?

If you were a Russian military commander in Syria, who would you prefer to form an alliance with, Israel or Hezbollah? If you had to choose one, which do you think you could place more trust in?

The mainstream media have been dishing it out so long, it’s kind of nice seeing them taking it on the chin these days. According to a poll published last year, only 4 in 10 Americans trust the mainstream media. My guess is that the number has dropped even lower than that with the 2016 election now behind us.

And so you won’t think it’s just a “Russia thing,” comedian Conan O’Brien has also taken some pot shots at the media as well.

Trump’s tweet about the “failing” New York Times” is quite interesting, and the RT commentator poses a question very much worth asking:

“Will the @realDonaldTrump Twitter account now become the number one source for White House news?”

Personally, I’d be more inclined to believe the veracity of a Trump tweet than a news media of the kind we have today. It occurs to me that to such a degree have media owners and Western journalists discredited themselves, they now may well be on their way to putting themselves out of business. What we seem to be headed for is a major shift, a paradigm shift if you will, in the way news and information are conveyed.

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament against Russia’s media outlets is the first step towards imposing censorship against all media sources which express different views from those promoted by the EU leadership, Italian journalist Giulietto Chiesa warns.

The European Parliament’s decision to crack down on Russia’s news websites, most notably Sputnik and RT, and considering them alongside terrorist groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda, has stirred a heated debate among international media pundits and independent observers.

“I write for Sputnik and cooperate with different Russian television broadcasters. So what will they do to me now?” Giulietto Chiesa, an Italian journalist and Director of PandoraTV.it, asks rhetorically.

According to Chiesa, the adoption of the controversial resolution is a step towards imposing censorship not only on Russian news websites but on all media outlets which express a point of view different from that of the EU establishment.

“To put it bluntly: the aim of the resolution, whatever arguments are cited, is to impose censorship against all media — both Russian and non-Russian — which express opinions different from those postulated by Western leaders,” Chiesa writes in his op-ed for Sputnik Italia.

The Italian journalist calls attention to the fact that in accordance with the criteria cited by the resolution every citizen of the European Union who supports, reproduces or disseminates opinions and critique of the West’s actions can be now branded as “a supporter of the Kremlin propaganda” that poses a “threat” to the sovereignty of this or that EU member state or the bloc in general.

“It is clear to anyone that this is the way to kick off a ‘witch hunt’, that would ultimately silence all forms of political dissent in Europe,” the Italian journalist warns.

“Therefore what lies at the root of the problem is not just the right to spread the views expressed by the Russian media in the West, but the right of free speech and expression for all journalists, bloggers and media activists who work and live in the West,” Chiesa highlights.

Commenting on the result of the vote in the European Parliament the Italian journalist notes that the vote showed a change of mind toward Russia among EU lawmakers.

While there is a powerful anti-Russian lobby comprising of a hundred or so MPs, apparently nostalgic of the Cold War times, this time the resolution was passed with 304 votes, while 179 legislators were against and 208 abstained from voting, Chiesa underscores.

De facto, the number of those who did not support the controversial document exceeded the number of those who voted for it, he stresses.

Chiesa asks ironically whether the EU establishment would now label the French presidential candidate Francois Fillon as “a Kremlin propagandist” and a “threat” to the European sovereignty given the fact that during his interview with Radio Europe 1 Fillon urged his audience not to believe that Russia is Europe’s enemy.

Citing the resolution’s passage de facto equating Russian media organizations to al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups’ propaganda, the journalist stresses that it is highly inappropriate to paint journalists and terrorists with one and the same brush.

“I don’t think it is right to equate the work of Russian journalists (or any other media workers) and the actions of terrorist groups. I also believe it’s not right to brand mass media of any country as a propaganda tool,”Cosic told Sputnik.

If a media outlet has indeed been spotted disseminating “propaganda” then the evidence needs to be presented to prove this instead of labeling all media as instruments of propaganda, he noted.

“This greatly worries me, as we had a very negative experience of group stigmatizing here in Serbia, when NATO bombed the building of RTS channel in 1999, justifying that as ‘the struggle against the Milosevic propaganda machine.’ The airstrikes killed 16 of our colleagues,” the journalist emphasized.

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament claims that the Sputnik news agency, the RT channel, the Russkiy Mir foundation and the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Cultural Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) pose a threat to the European Union.

To resist the “Russian propaganda” the document calls on the EU member states to cooperate with NATO to develop common mechanisms to counter “hybrid threats”.

EU Resolution One of the Harshest Attacks on the Profession of Journalist

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament that compared Russian media to Daesh propaganda, is one of the harshest attacks on journalism, Director of the Radio Belgrade (Radio Beograda) Milivoje Mihajlovic told Sputnik on Thursday.

Mihajlovic said that the document is directly targeting the freedom of media.

“I am particularly surprised by the comparison of the media with terrorist organizations. It’s a classic self-inflicted mistake of the European Parliament, and it will be remembered as one of the harshest attacks on the profession of journalist,” Mihajlovic said.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on countering Russian media outlets, such as the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster. As many as 304 voted in favor the document, 179 voted against and 208 abstained. With a total of 691 officials taking part in the vote, less than half supported the resolution, which draws parallel between Russian media and the propaganda disseminated by the Islamic State, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia.

The resolution said that Sputnik and RT posed a danger to European unity and called for extra European Commission funding for counter-propaganda projects.

Sputnik responded by calling the move a direct violation of media freedom and human rights, while Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the matter by pointing out that the document indicates a degradation of democracy in the West. Praising Sputnik and RT for their work, the president expressed hope that real media restrictions would not follow.